Your 2026 Garden

[dirkandlorie]

Corn is pollinated by wind, so plant the corn close. Use short rows, and interplant with pole beans, so they climb the stalks. Some people plant squash around the corn as well.

Thank you, so happy to have experienced advice! Is the inter planting of squash or beans to shade the feet of the corn?

 

[dirkandlorie]

I tried to grow corn last year here. Not again. Stalks grew, but as the ears were forming they developed bugs that ate almost all the kernels. I threw them towards the chickens. I figured they could eat the bugs. Betty really likes bugs & pulling earthworms out of the ground.

Uh oh! Looks like I'm going to need advice on the bugs that attack corn also! Do you know what kind got into your ears of corn?

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you, so happy to have experienced advice! Is the inter planting of squash or beans to shade the feet of the corn?

We do this to a certain extent for space reasons. I'm not sure if there's any science to it or not. One way to look at it is as the corn grows tall, that's a lot of ground space going to waste.

 

[StarOnFire59]

Uh oh! Looks like I'm going to need advice on the bugs that attack corn also! Do you know what kind got into your ears of corn?

No, IDK. They were very small & black. It looked disgusting. At first I thought it was mold, until I opened up an ear, and they all started moving around.

 

[Molpet]

Raccoons and deer ate my corn a couple days before it was ready to start picking. A radio works for about a week before they get used to it. Same with motion lights

 

[pollipazzi]

Gosh, how pretty even with just dirt thus far! Nice job!

thank you! that was a lot of work!

 

[Debbie292d]

No, IDK. They were very small & black. It looked disgusting. At first I thought it was mold, until I opened up an ear, and they all started moving around.

We get those too, not too many, but we'll see one occassionally. I believe they are called Corn Flea Beetles.

Regardless of what they are, while the corn is young, spraying the little cobs with a Neem oil solution once a week at night, or after a rain, will usually prevent them. The Neem oil is safe and natural.

You could get a smaller jug, but we use this on our fruit trees, rose bushes, etc. too. You mix I think it's a tablespoon in a quart sprayer with a couple drops of dish soap.

 

[pollipazzi]

We get those too, not too many, but we'll see one occassionally. I believe they are called Corn Flea Beetles.

Regardless of what they are, while the corn is young, spraying the little cobs with a Neem oil solution once a week at night, or after a rain, will usually prevent them. The Neem oil is safe and natural.

You could get a smaller jug, but we use this on our fruit trees, rose bushes, etc. too. You mix I think it's a tablespoon in a quart sprayer with a couple drops of dish soap.

neem oil is good stuff!

 

[fuzzi]

Thank you, so happy to have experienced advice! Is the inter planting of squash or beans to shade the feet of the corn?

It's called companion gardening. The beans and squash can help retain moisture, like living mulch. Corn is a heavy feeder, beans help fix nitrogen in the soil, so they supposedly balance each other.

 

[dirkandlorie]

We do this to a certain extent for space reasons. I'm not sure if there's any science to it or not. One way to look at it is as the corn grows tall, that's a lot of ground space going to waste.

Always wanted to try long Island cheese pumpkins, looks like this will be a perfect opportunity. The spiky leaves might help keep raccoons and cats away, lol.